On the evening of July 1, Junshi Biosciences announced that it had signed an agreement with Fosun Wanbang on June 30 to transfer the exclusive Greater China rights to its self-developed anti-IL-17A monoclonal antibody roconkibart, with a maximum total potential transaction value of RMB 1.34 billion. This transaction was finalized at a critical juncture ahead of the product’s commercial launch, as its New Drug Application for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis has been accepted. Junshi Biosciences has out-licensed multiple pipeline assets in prior years. Its consistent strategy is to advance drug candidates through R&D to late-stage clinical development, then leverage external partners to drive commercialization, with proceeds recycled to fund early-stage research projects. The company’s net profit attributable to parent shareholders remains negative amid sustained heavy investment, and it maintains relatively high levels of R&D expenditure and selling expenses.

Imunopharm Technology Co., Ltd., a Chinese biotech specializing in gene and cell therapies, has filed for an IPO on the Shanghai Stock Exchange's STAR Market to raise 2.5 billion yuan ($345 million). The funds will support R&D, manufacturing, and working capital. Founded in 2015 by a Tsinghua University team, the company has developed core platforms for gene delivery and immune cell therapies. Its flagship product, IM19, a CD19-targeting CAR-T therapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, has submitted an NDA and secured commercialization rights with Huadong Medicine. The pipeline extends to solid tumors with IM96 (globally approved for colorectal cancer trials), autoimmune diseases with ZM001, and next-gen technologies like in vivo CAR-T. Despite operating at a loss, the company aims to leverage its innovative platforms and diverse pipeline to compete in China's growing CAR-T market.

China's antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) sector is surging toward the end of Q2 with a flurry of regulatory milestones and clinical breakthroughs. Major players like Hansoh Pharmaceutical, Sino Biopharmaceutical, MediLink-Therapeutics, Huadong Medicine, and Sichuan Biokin Pharmaceutical have announced significant advances. These include new drug application acceptances for first-in-class ADCs, clinical trial approvals for lymphoma and gastric cancer treatments, FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for lung cancer, and the marketing approval of a bispecific ADC backed by a major licensing deal with Bristol-Myers Squibb. These developments underscore Chinese drugmakers' rapid ascent from followers to global competitors in the oncology space.

China's Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) has accepted the clinical trial application for HS-20110, a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) targeting CDH17 developed by Hansoh Pharmaceutical for gastrointestinal cancers. This regulatory milestone follows a major licensing agreement with Roche valued at over $1.5 billion, granting Roche exclusive global rights outside of Greater China. As Hansoh's third ADC licensed to a multinational partner, HS-20110 is advancing rapidly through clinical trials in both China and the U.S., underscoring its strong potential in treating highly prevalent and deadly solid tumors.

CureGene Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., a portfolio company of HanKang Capital, has announced the enrollment of the first subject in its U.S. pivotal registration clinical trial for CG-0255 (elifugrel), a next-generation P2Y12 receptor inhibitor and the world's first antiplatelet agent available in both intravenous and oral formulations. Built on CureGene's proprietary 'Puyu' prodrug platform, CG-0255 utilizes a novel metabolic pathway that bypasses the CYP450/CYP2C19 enzyme system, addressing the widespread issue of clopidogrel resistance. The drug demonstrates rapid onset, high potency at a fraction of existing doses, and improved safety with lower bleeding risk and fewer drug-drug interactions. The U.S. pivotal trial covers multiple indications including acute coronary syndrome, ischemic stroke, and peripheral artery disease, paving the way for a potential New Drug Application (NDA) submission. Meanwhile, parallel clinical development is advancing in China following CDE approval. With potential regulatory approval expected as early as 2027, this milestone marks a significant step in CG-0255's journey toward reshaping the global antiplatelet treatment landscape.

China's drug regulatory landscape delivered mixed results between June 13 and 18. While new approvals were granted—including a lidocaine-prilocaine spray for premature ejaculation, a third indication for Hengrui's CDK4/6 inhibitor, and CSPC's fast-dissolving albumin-bound paclitaxel—the week was overshadowed by a wave of rejections. Notably, two N-acetylcysteine injection applications and one dimethicone emulsion application failed, bringing the overall pass rate for N-acetylcysteine injections to below 20%, with 27 failures against only four successes. Meanwhile, CSPC filed new applications for a GLP-1 drug indication and a bisoprolol hypertension patch, Indian giant Cipla entered the inhalation space with budesonide-formoterol aerosols, and the pipeline grew increasingly crowded for landiolol and naftamostat, signaling intensifying competition in China's generic drug market.

The innovative drug industry is fiercely competitive, with a scarcity of high-quality, differentiated late-stage pipelines, forcing MNCs to pivot toward early-stage projects. Although China's innovative drug R&D system is characterized by being "fast, cost-effective, and efficient," this does not alter the fundamental principles of drug development: late-stage projects have a higher likelihood of successful commercialization, whereas early-stage projects suffer from lower success rates.

Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals has become the first company to submit a new drug application for bempedoic acid tablets in China, filling a significant gap in the country's lipid-lowering drug market. The filing, submitted on May 14 following the completion of Phase 3 clinical trials in February, positions the company as the frontrunner for the first generic version of the non-statin cholesterol-lowering therapy originally developed by Esperion Therapeutics. With no version of bempedoic acid currently approved or marketed in China, and the originator showing no plans to enter the domestic market, Gan & Lee's first-mover advantage opens up substantial commercial opportunities in China's lipid-lowering treatment market, which exceeds 20 billion yuan.

China's Center for Drug Evaluation (CDE) has formally accepted a marketing application from CSPC Jushi Biopharm for SYS6012, a secukinumab biosimilar injection, classified as a Class 3.3 therapeutic biological product. Secukinumab, an IL-17A inhibitor originally marketed by Novartis as Cosentyx, is one of the world's best-selling biologics for autoimmune conditions including psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. CSPC's candidate met predefined equivalence endpoints in a Phase III head-to-head trial, demonstrating high similarity to Cosentyx in efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity. If approved, the biosimilar could benefit from indication extrapolation covering the reference product's full label. The filing positions CSPC as a front-runner in China's increasingly competitive IL-17A biosimilar landscape, where multiple domestic developers are advancing late-stage programs. The entry of domestic biosimilars is expected to drive down treatment costs and expand patient access, particularly for China's estimated 6.5 million psoriasis patients, as the IL-17A franchise undergoes a structural shift toward localized production and generic competition.

Abogen Biosciences has launched a multicenter Phase III clinical trial for its lyophilized herpes zoster mRNA vaccine, ABO1108, making it the first herpes zoster mRNA vaccine globally to reach this late stage of testing. The vaccine utilizes a proprietary gE protein antigen, base modification technology, and lipid nanoparticle delivery system. A key advantage of ABO1108 is its lyophilized formulation, which remains stable for over two years at standard refrigerator temperatures (2-8°C), addressing logistical challenges associated with current vaccines that require cold storage. Early Phase I and II results demonstrated good safety and tolerability, with high-level immune responses comparable to existing recombinant zoster vaccines. Abogen's accelerated timeline—moving from regulatory approval to Phase III in just seven months—positions the company for a potential first-in-class approval in a competitive market.